Charity of the month - July

Dorothy and the ladies of the Sharing Together Craft Group are always beavering away raising money for local charities. This month they have chosen to donate £200 to Community Spirit Newton Aycliffe. Community Spirit is run and coordinated by Joanne and Neville Jones alongside their dedicated volunteers. Despite their demanding full-time jobs—Joanne is a nurse and Neville runs his own business, J & C Coaches, and both are also councillors—they tirelessly contribute to the community.

Their contributions include:

• Monthly themed family discos
• Numerous Christmas events including Santa’s Grotto and Sleigh visits throughout the streets of Newton Aycliffe
• The "Keep Aycliffe Tidy" campaign
• Basic life support classes led by Joanne herself
• A furniture scheme
• Wheelchair loans
• Sponsor “The Shine Choir”

Their motto, "support local families, helping those in need, bringing the community together," truly captures their dedication and efforts. They do all of this at no cost to the community, there is nothing they wouldn't consider doing to help out all the residents of Newton Aycliffe.

It's easy to understand why Dorothy and the ladies wanted to support such an incredible cause. With this generous donation, Joanne and Neville plan to install two "Letters to Heaven" post boxes at the local cemeteries, Stephenson Way and West Cemetery. This incredibly thoughtful idea will provide a special way for people to send messages to their loved ones who have passed, further highlighting the compassionate and supportive nature of Community Spirit.